..."They cannot see how much of the misery of human life is derived from the indulgence of wrath" - William Henry Seward

Friday, December 14, 2007

Republican Ignore The Dead Canary, Democrats Let More Carnaries Die

Republicans and Democrats agreed on a weaker energy bill after pressure from energy lobby.

The legislation still contains a landmark increase in fuel-economy standards for vehicles and a huge boost for alternative fuels. But a $13 billion tax increase on oil companies and a requirement that utilities nationwide produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources were left on the floor to secure Republican votes for the package.

This week, after reviewing his own new data, NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally said: "At this rate, the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer by 2012, much faster than previous predictions."

and that dead canary?

The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming," said Zwally, who as a teenager hauled coal. "Now as a sign of climate warming, the canary has died. It is time to start getting out of the coal mines."